Respiratory therapist vs radiation therapist

The differences between respiratory therapists and radiation therapists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a respiratory therapist, becoming a radiation therapist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a radiation therapist has an average salary of $84,981, which is higher than the $55,617 average annual salary of a respiratory therapist.

The top three skills for a respiratory therapist include patients, respiratory care and BLS. The most important skills for a radiation therapist are patients, patient care, and radiation oncologist.

Respiratory therapist vs radiation therapist overview

	Respiratory Therapist	Radiation Therapist
Yearly salary	$55,617	$84,981
Hourly rate	$26.74	$40.86
Growth rate	14%	6%
Number of jobs	33,980	39,384
Job satisfaction	3.33	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 70%	Associate Degree, 40%
Average age	46	42
Years of experience	12	2

What does a respiratory therapist do?

A Respiratory Therapist is responsible for the healthcare of a patient's Cardiopulmonary system. A Respiratory Therapist specializes in assessing, recommending procedures or precautionary measures, and treating infections, diseases, and even viruses that can cause dysfunction to a patient's breathing. Most duties will depend on the workplace or the condition of a patient. However, they must have extensive expertise, passion, and presence of mind as they work with patients of all ages, and the daily tasks are vital and unpredictable.

What does a radiation therapist do?

A radiation therapist is a medical professional who works in hospitals or cancer treatment centers and treats cancer and other diseases in patients by giving radiation treatments. Radiation therapists are required to explain the treatment plans to patients as well as conduct x-ray tests on patients to determine the exact location of the area that requires treatment. They must examine radiation machines to ensure that they are safe and working properly. Radiation therapists must also follow safety procedures to protect patients and themselves from overexposure.

Respiratory therapist vs radiation therapist salary

Respiratory therapists and radiation therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Respiratory Therapist	Radiation Therapist
Average salary	$55,617	$84,981
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $91,000	Between $63,000 And $113,000
Highest paying City	Lancaster, CA	Los Angeles, CA
Highest paying state	California	Mississippi
Best paying company	Heartland Home Health Inc.	Cedars-Sinai
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between respiratory therapist and radiation therapist education

There are a few differences between a respiratory therapist and a radiation therapist in terms of educational background:

	Respiratory Therapist	Radiation Therapist
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 70%	Associate Degree, 40%
Most common major	Medical Technician	Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Respiratory therapist vs radiation therapist demographics

Here are the differences between respiratory therapists' and radiation therapists' demographics:

	Respiratory Therapist	Radiation Therapist
Average age	46	42
Gender ratio	Male, 37.5% Female, 62.5%	Male, 34.3% Female, 65.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 6.4% White, 63.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 8.8% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 4.5% White, 69.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	9%	17%

Differences between respiratory therapist and radiation therapist duties and responsibilities

Respiratory therapist example responsibilities.

Manage ventilators through morning planning and protocols for trauma, ICU, and open heart unit.
Manage artificial airways, mechanically ventilate patients, pulmonary rehab patients and perform CPR in code situations.
Perform diagnostic procedures such as EEG, PFT, and Bronchoscopy.
Perform all aspects of respiratory care from intubation to ventilation, and medication delivery.
Provide critical care services including mechanical ventilation, pulmonary toilet, respiratory pharmacological medicine, overall respiratory evaluation and observation.
Attend and complete ACLS, BLS, and telemetry monitoring certification courses.

Radiation therapist example responsibilities.

Manage all payroll, accounts receivable and payable, and maintain complete records of equipment and staff.
Manage daily clinical staffing needs by appropriately deploying PRN therapist when need, which save company from employing an additional FTE.
Perform SBRT and SRS, and IMRT treatments under the supervision of the physician.
Set up patients on treatment machine, port films and IGRT to line up patients.
Ensure treatment plans are consistent with oncologist's prescriptions and verify EMR for daily treatment delivery.
Monitor patients records through EMR, maintain weekly and monthly reports for the company, maintain and order supplies.

Respiratory therapist vs radiation therapist skills

Common respiratory therapist skills

Patients, 18%
Respiratory Care, 11%
BLS, 8%
RRT, 7%
Acls, 5%
Ventilation, 4%

Common radiation therapist skills

Patients, 28%
Patient Care, 9%
Radiation Oncologist, 8%
Patient Treatment, 6%
Dosimetry, 4%
Treatment Planning, 4%

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Respiratory Therapist
Respiratory Therapist vs Radiation Therapist

Updated January 8, 2025

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